Numbers 11:27 kjv
And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp.
Numbers 11:27 nkjv
And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."
Numbers 11:27 niv
A young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."
Numbers 11:27 esv
And a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp."
Numbers 11:27 nlt
A young man ran and reported to Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp!"
Numbers 11 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Num 11:16-17 | "Gather for me seventy men...I will take of the Spirit that is upon thee, and will put it upon them..." | God distributing His Spirit to elders. |
| Num 11:25 | "the Spirit rested upon them, and they prophesied..." | The 70 elders at the Tent also prophesied. |
| Num 11:28 | "My lord Moses, forbid them!" | Joshua's reaction to Eldad and Medad. |
| Num 11:29 | "Would God that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them!" | Moses's desire for universal Spirit outpouring. |
| Exod 31:3 | "I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge..." | Spirit empowering for skill and service. |
| Deut 18:18 | "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee..." | Promise of a future prophet. |
| 1 Sam 10:5-6 | "thou shalt meet a company of prophets...and the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee..." | Instances of Spirit-induced prophecy. |
| 1 Kgs 22:6 | "And the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men..." | Prophecy often associated with groups. |
| 2 Kgs 2:15 | "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha." | Transfer or succession of prophetic anointing. |
| Psa 104:30 | "Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth." | God's creative and sustaining Spirit. |
| Isa 44:3 | "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground..." | Metaphor for the outpouring of God's Spirit. |
| Joel 2:28-29 | "I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy..." | Prophecy of widespread Spirit activity. |
| Ezek 36:27 | "And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes..." | Promise of indwelling Spirit for obedience. |
| Zech 4:6 | "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." | God's power comes through His Spirit. |
| Matt 3:11 | "He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire..." | John the Baptist foretells Spirit baptism. |
| John 3:8 | "The wind bloweth where it listeth...so is every one that is born of the Spirit." | Sovereignty of the Spirit. |
| John 14:16-17 | "I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter..." | Promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit. |
| Acts 2:1-4 | "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues..." | Pentecost: The Spirit poured out broadly. |
| Acts 2:17-18 | "And it shall come to pass in the last days...I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh..." | Peter quoting Joel, showing fulfillment. |
| Acts 19:6 | "And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied." | Spirit imparting prophecy in the early church. |
| 1 Cor 12:4-11 | "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." | Listing spiritual gifts, including prophecy. |
| 1 Cor 14:1-5 | "Desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy." | Paul encourages prophecy in the church. |
Numbers 11 verses
Numbers 11 27 Meaning
Numbers 11:27 records an urgent report brought to Moses that two individuals, Eldad and Medad, were prophesying under divine inspiration within the main Israelite camp, not at the designated Tent of Meeting with the other elders. This event underscores that God's Spirit is not confined to specific places or formal gatherings, but can act sovereignly wherever He chooses.
Numbers 11 27 Context
Numbers chapter 11 begins with the Israelite congregation complaining bitterly about their harsh conditions in the wilderness and their diet of manna, yearning for the food of Egypt. This incessant complaining deeply burdens Moses, who expresses his overwhelming despair and inadequacy to lead such a rebellious people to the LORD. In response to Moses’ plea and the people’s murmurings, God instructs Moses to gather seventy elders of Israel at the Tent of Meeting. The LORD promises to take a portion of the Spirit that was upon Moses and place it upon these seventy elders, so they could share the administrative burden of leading the people. After the elders were assembled, the LORD descended in a cloud and fulfilled His promise; the Spirit rested upon the seventy, and they prophesied, although their prophetic experience was brief (Num 11:24-25). It is into this unfolding scene of divine empowerment that verse 27 immediately introduces a surprising development.
Numbers 11 27 Word analysis
- And there ran (וַיָּרָץ, vayyaratz): This verb signifies a quick, hurried movement, conveying the urgency and importance with which the messenger perceived his news. The unexpectedness of the event prompted immediate action.
- a young man (הַנַּעַר, hanna'ar): The use of the definite article "the" suggests this youth was either known, possibly Moses’ personal attendant, or he was identified with someone specific, later revealed in Num 11:28 as Joshua’s young man. His youthful zeal is reflected in his haste.
- and told Moses (וַיַּגֵּד לְמֹשֶׁה, vayagged l'Moshe): This direct reporting indicates recognition of Moses's ultimate authority and leadership. The news was deemed so significant that it had to be communicated personally and immediately to him.
- and said (וַיֹּאמֶר, vayyomer): Introduces the exact report given to Moses.
- Eldad and Medad (אֶלְדָּד וּמֵידָד, Eldad uMeidad): These are specific individuals among the seventy elders chosen, though they did not physically go out to the Tent of Meeting with the others (Num 11:26). "Eldad" likely means "God has loved" or "friend of God." "Medad" is often interpreted as "of love" or "extension/continuance." Their names may subtly hint at the divine grace extended to them and the wider, unforeseen outpouring of God's Spirit.
- do prophesy (מִתְנַבְּאִים, mitnabbe'im): This Hithpael participle form of the verb נָבָא (nava) means "to behave as a prophet," "to be in a state of prophesying," or "to speak under divine inspiration." In this context, it implies an ecstatic, Spirit-inspired utterance or declaration of God's word, similar to what occurred with the other seventy elders (Num 11:25). The participle also suggests an ongoing, rather than fleeting, act.
- in the camp (בַּמַּחֲנֶה, bammaḥaneh): This phrase is critically important. It highlights that Eldad and Medad were not at the official, designated site (the Tent of Meeting) where the Spirit was supposed to be imparted. Their prophesying in the general encampment emphasizes God’s sovereign and unconfined Spirit, capable of working outside prescribed human arrangements and locations, making the manifestation widely accessible.
Words-group analysis:
- "And there ran a young man, and told Moses": This emphasizes the swift and direct nature of the communication to the leader. It immediately signals that something unusual and significant, perhaps even alarming from the reporter's perspective, has occurred, demanding Moses's attention.
- "Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp": This short, direct declaration contains the core information. It identifies the two unexpected individuals and their unexpected spiritual activity. Crucially, the location "in the camp" highlights the deviation from the planned assembly at the Tent, powerfully demonstrating that the Holy Spirit is not bound by human organization or specific physical locations but operates with divine freedom and sovereignty.
Numbers 11 27 Bonus section
The spontaneous anointing of Eldad and Medad outside the formal assembly serves as a type and shadow of the broad, indiscriminate outpouring of the Holy Spirit promised in the New Covenant. This incident foreshadows the prophecy in Joel 2:28-29, which speaks of God pouring out His Spirit on "all flesh"—sons, daughters, old, young, servants—leading them to prophesy. This promise found its profound fulfillment at Pentecost (Acts 2), where the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers from diverse backgrounds, enabling them to declare the wonders of God. Eldad and Medad's experience thus stands as an early testament to the democratizing nature of divine inspiration, moving beyond a select few leaders to embrace wider segments of God's people, a characteristic fully realized in the Church where every believer is indwelt by the Spirit and given spiritual gifts for the common good.
Numbers 11 27 Commentary
Numbers 11:27 acts as a narrative climax in the account of the Spirit's outpouring on the seventy elders. While the seventy who gathered at the Tent of Meeting received the Spirit and prophesied as intended, the report of Eldad and Medad prophesying in the camp immediately transforms the divine event from a formally contained ritual to a spontaneous, widespread spiritual phenomenon. These two men, although listed among the chosen elders, did not make it to the Tent; yet, the sovereign Spirit of the LORD still found them where they were and empowered them just as He had empowered their peers. This unprecedented occurrence underscores a profound theological truth: God's power and Spirit are not restricted by human boundaries, prescribed locations, or procedural expectations. Their prophesying in the open camp signals an expansive grace, anticipating Moses's heartfelt wish in the very next verse for all of God's people to be prophets. This moment reveals God's initiative in spiritual empowerment, demonstrating that the gifts of His Spirit are dispensed according to His will, transcending mere formality.